The Sisters of Mercy founded by Catherine McAuley, came to teach in Coolock/Artane in 1955. The Mercy order had acquired Coolock House,the former home of their foundress. Catherine McAuley lived in Coolock house from 1800 to 1828. They used this house as a school while Scoil Chaitríona was being built. This was an historic moment for the sisters as they were returning to their roots, the house where the dream of mercy was born.
In 1960 work was still in progress on the new school so the children had to be educated in the basement of Coolock House and in half finished classrooms in the new school. The Mercy sisters themselves came by mini bus every morning from where they lived at the time in Carysfort Convent.
The sisters ran the school right up to 1995 when due mainly to falling vocations in the order a lay principal was appointed for the first time. Moira Bennet was appointed to this role and is still the principal of the school. Breege Ryan is the Deputy Principal and Anne Nolan is the Assistant Principal.
The school continues to be under the guardianship of the Mercy Trust. The ethos of the Mercy order is still imbued in the aims of the school.
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